Quetzal Gerrero

Quetzal Guerrero (whose last name has also been spelled as Gerrero) is a virtuoso on the violin and a singer. His music combines together Latin jazz, sambas, soul numbers, salsa, Yoruban music and funk to create a very infectious blend. He began classical music training at the age of 4 in 1986. Guerrero showed such promise from the start that, when he was 5, he attended the Suzuki International Institute in Matsumoto, Japan. He also studied later on at the Conservatorio Pernambucuano de Musica in Recife, Brazil. Guerrero began performing professionally when he was 10 with the group Zum Zum Zum and had an opportunity to sit in with Tito Puente at a San Diego concert. As a teenager he also had chances to jam with Jorge Santana, Lalo Guerrero and Osunlade. In addition to violin and singing, he plays guitar and percussion, is an accomplished dancer, and leads Quetzal Guerrero and the Warriors. In the spring of 2004, while attending the Winter Music Conference in Miami, Guerrero was signed to the Yoruba label by producer Osunlade. He has since been featured on television on a few occasions (including being a contestant on American Idol) and released the EP Vamos Conversar and two CDs of his original music: Big Wet Mop and Buscando.